Let it Go
by SkywardShadow
Summary: The first step to gaining forgiveness is admitting that you were wrong. Sasuke-centric. ONESHOT.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I also do not own "Let Go" by Red, "We're All To Blame" by Sum 41, "Just Like You" by Three Days Grace, "This Is Home" by Switchfoot, or "Sorry" by Daughtry. (All fantastic songs, by the way!!)

**A/N: This one's dedicated to Cherry Blossom Haiku, whose review on "Pieces" inspired me to write this. Sorry it took so long!**

**Oh, and, um, just a warning…improbable/impossible situations and OOC-ness may abound. Depends on your opinion, really.**

**Ah..well, I hope you enjoy. ^^**

**-Let it Go-**

**x**

_I don't wanna be afraid, I don't wanna run away  
I don't wanna be evaded, it's more that I can take  
I'm never gonna be the same, I threw it all away  
I don't want to be here fading!  
Just let go! _

_(look what you do to me)_  
**x**

_This is going to be interesting_, he thinks grimly.

The gates of Leaf Village are_ there_, so _close_. He's come so far, changed his mind so many times, and finally decided.

Now that he's here, he's having difficulty bringing himself to take those last few steps. Only a few steps between him and what he knows to be the right thing to do.

_Just do it. Just move, and it'll be all over soon enough._

He swallows hard, and forces himself to walk out into plain view of the gate's guards.

He watches their shock, their disbelief. He watches them attempt to put a cold expression back onto their faces. It's so hard not to grin at their surprise, but acting cocky will do him no favors, so he restrains himself.

The older of the guards steps forward cautiously. "Uchiha Sasuke?"

Sasuke nods without making a move toward the guard (he doesn't want to end up with a kunai in his gut, thank you very much). "I want to speak with the Lady Hokage."

The first guard's partner, still working on shaking off his surprise, scowls and puts a hand in his pocket, presumably to grab a scroll just in case. "You think," he says angrily, "that you, a rogue ninja-a _traitor_-can just show up out of nowhere and be allowed to see the most high-ranking official in the village? How stupid do you think we are?!"

There was a time when Sasuke would've answered that, and not kindly. But he's still trying to get things to work in his favor, and thus keeps his mouth shut. "I'm not armed," he points out, silently wishing he had a more persuasive argument. _So the best an Uchiha genius can come up with is 'I'm not armed'. Like they'll ever believe such a cliché. Even if it's true._

As if to illustrate his mental point, the younger guard smirks. "You expect us to believe that?"

"If I wanted to get to the Hokage, do you think I would still be here talking to you two?" the raven returns, annoyed. "If I wanted to get rid of you, don't you think I would have done so by now?" The angry and skeptical looks on the faces of the guards tell him that his logic isn't working. _Great._

"Look," he tries again. "What do I have to do to convince you to let me get an audience with the Hokage?"

The guards exchange brief, worried looks. Sasuke takes a deep breath to avoid losing his grip.

_Wait for it…just wait for it…_

"Any day now," he growls. _Maybe they need a little push._ "All I-"

A sharp pain hits the back of his head. He feels it spread as the ground gets closer.

_About time…idiots.._

For the time being, it goes black.

**x**

_And now, we're all to blame  
We've gone too far, from pride to shame  
We're hopelessly blissful and blind, when all we need  
Is something true to believe  
Don't we all?  
(Everyone?)_

**x**

"So, Sasuke."

His eyes open and he sits up.

He's in a dark, cold room easily recognizable as a cell. Four chains-one on all four limbs-are keeping him secured tightly to the wall.

"Special chains," the woman in front of him notes, following his gaze. "Chakra-infused. Prevents you from using jutsu-not that you could make hand signs in that position-or anything else of the like. You won't be breaking out of here anytime soon." There is no triumph in that voice. She sounds exhausted.

He raises his head until black eyes meet hazel ones. Tsunade is crouched next to him, her expression unreadable. "Well? " she inquires coolly. "Care to explain?"

He raises an eyebrow.

She rolls her eyes. "Give me some credit, Uchiha. I know you, and there is _no_ way you didn't sense that third guard coming. In fact, I think you _wanted_ him to knock you out, so you could get inside the village. Am I right?"

_..She isn't a Sannin for nothing._ "…Yes."

"Now why," she drawls, "would someone like you be willing to set aside his pride and allow himself to be taken captive inside a village that he left years ago?"

He fixes his gaze firmly on the ground. _You know why. You __**know**__ why. Don't make me say it._ He's not sure his pride can hold up if Tsunade forces him to essentially come crawling back. (Which..he's basically doing anyway, but still.)

"Well?" the woman presses. He can almost hear the smirk in her voice.

_You evil…_ He opens his mouth and speaks, slowly and carefully. "If at all possible-" (those words are nothing more than a stalling method, he knows; and screw whether it's 'possible' or not-he's going to get what he wants in this case no matter what he has to do) "-I…"

He swallows. "I want to stay in Konoha."

Eyes still fixated on a spot on the floor, he doesn't see the Sannin's hand come flying forward to smack him-hard-over the head. So hard, in fact, that aforementioned head is pushed forward to hit the ground.

Wincing, he almost misses the first of Tsunade's venom-infused words. "You think it's that easy?!" she hisses in a low, deadly tone. "Do you think you can come crawling back here and everyone will just magically forgive you? Do you have any idea how much pain you've caused everyone?"

Another angry blow to the back of his head. (He's pretty sure that one left a handprint-shaped mark in his skull.) "Your arrogance may have scored you points with Orochimaru," she continues irately, "but it's not going to help your case with me." She takes a deep breath; an attempt at some self-control when she so obviously wants to throttle him. "First off, I'm expecting one hell of an apology."

_Suck it up. Just…suck it up._ Partly trying not to seethe, partly burning with humiliation, partly knowing he deserves it, he leans forward and bows so low his nose is kissing the floor. "..'I'm sorry' probably doesn't cover it, am I right?"

"No," is the response. "But it'll do for a start."

"..I'm sorry," he says quietly. "I was wrong-words can't describe how wrong I was-to leave the village and join Orochimaru. I hurt a lot of people and caused an insane amount of trouble-" (which is a massive understatement, of course, but how better to phrase it?) "-for selfish reasons. It was wrong and _I'm sorry_." The amount of emotion that escaped into the last two words makes him cringe; he didn't want to sound so desperate.

He closes his eyes, half-expecting another blow to the head.

A few seconds go by with no signs of life from Tsunade. He straightens and sees that she's standing outside the cell.

"I'll speak with the elders," she says quietly, missing the brief look of hatred that passes over the boy's face at the mention of _those people_. "I can't promise anything, though."

And she leaves.

**x**

_I could be cold, I could be ruthless  
You know I could be just like you  
I could be weak, I could be senseless  
You know I could be _

_(just like you)_

**x**

He waits in the dark and the cold for days. He's unsure of how many. He doesn't particularly care, either-part of him dreads the return of the Hokage and the announcement of his fate.

He could, by some miracle, be allowed to stay. (But he gave up on believing in miracles a long time ago.)

He could just be left in this prison to watch his life fade. (What a boring prospect.)

He could very well be executed. That seems the most likely option. (And that possibility doesn't scare him as much as he thinks it should.)

Time drifts away lazily as he memorizes every inch of his cell. (He has nothing else to occupy himself with other than his own memories-and remembering hurts too badly.)

And eventually, inevitably, Tsunade returns.

She enters his small prison with an air of grim formality so thick that Sasuke can't sense her true emotions underneath. "Uchiha Sasuke." She begins to read off a scroll that hides her face in the gloom. "Myself and the honorable elders of Konohagakure have discussed your situation for the past few days, and we have come to a conclusion. _Finally_," she adds in an undertone.

She takes a deep breath. "Uchiha, do you swear that you will remain loyal to the Village Hidden in the Leaves?"

Hope-maybe, maybe, there's hope? "Yes," he answers, trying not to sound too eager.

"Do you swear that you will never again attempt to become a Missing Nin?"

"Yes."

"And will you accept the terms of your being allowed to stay?"

He doesn't know what such terms are, and he couldn't care less. "Yes."

"Good. In that case..the terms of your reinstatement are as follows…"

She reads off a list of restrictions and warnings. He will be watched at all times by a member of the ANBU Black Ops until the elders no longer deem it necessary. He will not be allowed his own weapons unless they are required for a mission. The list seems to go on forever, but at last it ends.

Tsunade lowers her scroll, smiling. "I'm warning you-don't push your luck again," she warns, moving to unlock his chains.

He doesn't feel the need to tell her that such a warning is not necessary.

**x**

_Now I know, _

_Yeah this is home  
I've come too far  
No, I won't go back  
(This is home)_

**x**

He'll get used to the stares and angry looks, eventually. He knows the anger is justified, and doesn't answer to any scathing remarks.

Not long after being freed, he walks down to Team Seven's old training spot. He has a lot of thinking to do. Issues to work out.

Attempting to ignore the heat of the ANBU's eyes on him (that's something that will prove harder to get used to), he walks through the woods….and stops short as a familiar voice says his name.

He turns to see the face of the one person in the world whose face he wanted to see more than anyone else's. The other person beams, face crumpling with happiness.

"Welcome back, Sasuke."

Sasuke smiles. (No, the apocalypse is not upon us.)

"..Thank you."

**x**

_When I say I'm sorry, will you believe me?..  
..When I say I'm sorry, can you forgive me?  
When I say I will always be there, will you believe..  
(Will you believe me?)_

**x**

Not far away, a young man watches the unfolding reunion with a small smile on his face.

"..Let's go," he says after a minute. "We can't afford to linger here."

As they turn to leave, his companion asks, "Are you ever going to tell him? That you're still around, I mean."

The dark-haired man pauses, thinking it over.

He half-smiles as he opens his mouth to respond.

**-Owari-**

**A/N: -is banging head into nearest available surface- Seems like all I can write is crap lately…curse it, I'm sorry if I wasted your time with this. **

**I'll leave it up to your imagination who Sasuke was reunited with there, btw.**

**Ah, crapbiscuits…I, er, hope you liked it…at least a little bit….**

**-SS**


End file.
